2 Chronicles 4

Solomon makes things for the temple

1 He made a bronzealtar. It was about 9 metres (30 feet) long and 9 metres (30 feet) wide and 4.5 metres (15 feet) high. 2 He made a round metal thing like a sea. It was about 4.5 metres (15 feet) across and 2.3 metres (7.5 feet) high. And it was about 13.5 metres (45 feet) round its edge. 3 He made shapes of things like male cows below the edge. He put 5 of these to each 0.5 metres (1.5 feet) and 5 more cows below them. And they were part of the same piece of metal as the metal sea.

4 He put the sea on models of 12 male cows. Three cows looked out towards the north, three towards the west, three towards the south and three towards the east. He put the sea on top of them and their tails were in the centre. 5 The edge of the sea was as wide as a hand. And it was like a cup, the shape of a flower called a lily. It contained about 66,000 litres (17 500 gallons) of water.

6 Then he made 10 bowls to wash in. He put 5 bowls on the right side and 5 bowls on the left side. The priests washed in them all the things that they used for the sacrifices by fire. But the priests washed themselves in the water from the bronze sea.

7 He made 10 lampstands out of gold. And he did it as the rules about them said. He put them in the temple, 5 on the right side and 5 on the left side.

4:7See 1 Chronicles 28:15.

8 He also made 10 tables and he put them in the temple. He put 5 tables on the right side and he put 5 tables on the left side. He also made 100 bowls out of gold.

9 He made the yard for the priests and the big yard outside. He made the doors for the yard and he covered the doors with bronze. 10 He put the sea on the right side in the south-east corner.

11 Huram also made more pots and spades and bowls. So Huram finished the work that he had promised to do for King Solomon for the house of God.

Outside the temple

12 He made the two pillars with their top parts. The top parts were in the shape of bowls. He made the two sets of chains to cover the top parts of the pillars.

13 And he made 400 models of fruits called pomegranates for the two sets of chains. There were two groups of these fruits for each set of chains. They were to cover the two bowls on the top parts of the pillars. One group was below the other group.

14 He made the bowls to wash things in. And he made the things to put the bowls on.

15 He made the very large bowl that was like a sea. And he made the models of 12 male cows under it.

16 He made the pots, spades and forks for meat. Huram, the good worker, made all the things for the house of the LORD. He made them from bronze that he caused to shine. King Solomon had told him that he should do that. 17 The king caused him to make them in the clay at the Jordan valley between Succoth and Zeredah. He made the shapes of these things out of clay. Then he poured the hot metal into the shapes. 18 Solomon made very many things. So nobody knew the weight of the bronze that he used.

Inside the temple

19 And Solomon made all the things that were inside God's house. And he made the altar that he covered with gold. And he made the tables where the priests put the special bread.

20 He made the lampstands and their lamps out of pure gold. The lamps had to burn in front of the Most Holy Place. That was the rule.

21 He made the flowers, the lamps and the tongs out of gold that was the best gold.

22 He made the tools to help the lamps to burn well. He made the bowls, the spoons and the pots to contain burning fire. He made all those things out of the best gold. He made the gate of the temple out of gold. And he made the doors to the Most Holy Place inside the temple out of gold. He made the doors of the biggest room in the temple out of gold too.